[Recap: Veer and Ravi have a fight. Veer tries to hide the matter from Rani, but ultimately fails to do so. Rani is still worried about Veer. Veer leaves for Ballia but at the same time falls prey to Ravi-Chandan's plan].
Rani's slumber was disturbed by the sharp rapping of knuckles on the wooden door.
She got down the bed and walked up to the main door of their house.
"Kaun hai?", Rani asked while unbolting the door.
She stared in wonder at the figure in front of her.
It was dark outside so the person's face wasn't visible. On top of that it was raining cats and dogs.
But before she could attempt to guess who it was...
The person came a few steps forward allowing the light shining inside the house, to fall on his face.
"Dactersaab!", Rani called out as soon as she recognised Veer.
Veer spread his arms and without another thought, she ran towards him and hugged him with all her strength.
Veer had to step back due to the sudden jerk
but eventually reciprocated the hug.
The darkness, the rain, the rumbling thunder- nothing bothered them at this point.
They didn't know for how long they stayed in that position.
They were simply lost in each other's embrace.
"Rani", Veer called her out softly, breaking the hug.
Rani looked up at Veer and rested her hands on his chest.
Her hair had been plastered around her face by the rain. He removed them one by one and kissed her forehead affectionately.
Rani: aap knaha thhe dactersaab...itna waqt k..kyu lagaya aapne a..ane mai... Aapko pa..ta hai hum kabse aapka intejaar kr rhe thhe...
Rani finally spoke, breaking the ice.
Her quavering voice revealed that she was crying.
Veer: Boht intezaar karwaya na maine aapko?... par kya karta mai Rani... Jitna aapke paas aane ki koshish kr rha thha utna hi durr kheencha chala Jaa rha thha...
Rani: ab aap wapis aagaye hai na dactersaab... Ab sab thik ho jayega...hum aapko humse dur kahi naahi jaane denge..
Rani said clasping his hands tightly.
Rani: aap phir humme chorke naahi jayenge na ?
Veer did not reply.
Rani: bataiye Dactersaab aap chup kaahe hai? Naahi jayenge na aap?
This time Veer slowly spoke while separating his hand from hers.
Veer: Mujhe maaf kardijiye Rani...par mujhe Jana hoga... Aapse durr...bohot durr...
Rani: Naahi....hum aapko kahi naahi jaane denge...
She said trying to grip back his hand.
Veer: Mujhe jana hoga Rani ...
He said stepping back.
Rani: naahi....
Rani started sobbing.
Her feet had frozen in their place...she couldn't move...she couldn't reach out to him.
Rani: Dactersaab.... naahi ...mat jaiye dactersaab...
She kept sobbing and calling him out as Veer started to disappear in the darkness.
Rani: DACTERSAAB!
Rani screamed as loudly as possible and hurriedly sat up.
She was sweating.
Her heart was throbbing in her chest.
Rani looked around herself.
She was in her room, on her bed.
Rani exhaled. It was just another bad dream.
She looked out; It was still dark and was raining outside.
Rani picked up her phone.
The last message was from Veer and it read
"Can't wait to see you tomorrow".
Rani smiled.
"Knaha hai aap", she texted him without hoping for a reply at this hour and lied back.
_______
The bulb💡 above their heads flickered again.
Ravi and Chandan looked at each other and gulped.
The man sitting in front of them crossed his legs and glanced at them.
"Ab thikse batao ki hua kya hai" the man said.
Ravi: humse ek galti hogayi hai Bhai...
Bhai: galti..hmm... Ek kaam diya thha vo bhi thikse kar nahi paye hoge tumlog hai na? Hai na?
Both Ravi and Chandan kept quiet.
Bhai: ab chupp kya khare ho? Bolo kya kia! Jaane dia usse?
Chandan: nahi bhai..jaane nahi diya... Vo hua yu ki...
Chandan narrated him the entire incident of how they decided to leave Veer alone but stopped as they heard the phone call. Ravi and Veer's fight etc.
The man remained thoughtful for few minutes and then turned towards them.
Bhai: hmm... Uske bachne ke chance kitne hai?
Chandan: pata nahi bhai... shayad nahi hai.
Bhai: hmm... tumlogo kisine dekha thha? gaari se ched chad krte hue kisine dekha thha?
Ravi: nahi bhai...
Chandan: nahi...
Bhai: ek kaam karo...tum dono kuch dino k liye underground hojao...ynaha ka sab mai sambhal lunga... Jao...niklo...jao...
Ravi and Chandan nodded and went away from there.
_____
Veer tried to feel his way in the dark in order to reach his phone.
Unable to do so, Veer came up and concentrated back on the steering.
An amber coloured beam of light flashed on his right. The brake warning light⚠️ indicated that the brake fluid was low.
Just a while back, during his attempt to save his car from colliding with another car, he'd realised that the brakes of his car weren't functioning properly rather not functioning at all.
Veer's phone too had fallen down on the car's floor during that time.
Veer took a deep breath.
He was an efficient cardiologist but wasn't able to handle his broken heart, how was he going to handle this broken brake?
Veer wanted to laugh at his joke but couldn't.
Even the cold winds coming in through the open window couldn't prevent him from sweating.
The high speed car kept racing towards an unknown destination.
Sitting in a car without brake meant nothing but death. Even jumping out could fatally injure him.
What will happen to Rani if something happens to him today? What will happen to his family?
The thoughts made him shiver from within.
__________
Ranisa sat down on the couch🛋️ and switched on the lamp.
"Kya hua Rajeshwari?", asked Digvijay upon waking up.
Ranisa: kuch nahi Digvijay. Aap sojaiye.
Digvijay came and sat beside her.
Digvijay: itne raat gye tum ynaha baithi ho aur humme keh rahi ho koi baat nahi?... Agar koi pareshani hai to humme bata sakti ho.
Ranisa: humme boht ajeeb sa lag raha hai... Jaise kuch honewala hai...
She took a pause.
Ranisa: Digvijay, Veer thik to hoga na..humne uske liye chinta horahi hai.
Digvijay: Rajeshwari, Veer bilkul theek hoga. Chinta mat kro. Vo ghar pe nahi hai isiliye tumhe aesa lag raha hai. Kal subah hote hi hum tumhari baat karwa denge usse, thik hai?
Ranisa nodded.
______
Veer's trance was broken by a honking sound.
He looked through the rear view mirror: there was a truck🚛 behind him.
The truck however couldn't overtake his car.
After sometime Veer wasn't able to spot it anymore.
Veer was controlling the car in the best way possible.
Only if he manages to keep driving until the fuel ends, he'll be safe.
Suddenly he noticed in the streetlight on the left side that the road in front had been blocked, supposedly it was under construction.
On the right, was a tree.
The truck behind him had probably taken a different turn knowing that the road here was closed.
Veer's hands were slowly trembling.
Maybe it was time to resign to his fate.
________
Next morning,,
Rani came out of her room hurriedly.
Dadiamma: Tu uth gayi bitiya?... Jaldi idhar aa..
Rani came to her side.
Rani: dadiamma aap humko uthayi kaahe naahi? Subah ke 9 baj rahe hai... Hum itni der thori sote hai.
Dadiamma: tu itni gehri neend mai so rahi thhi isiliye hum naahi jagaye... Accha ab baatein chor or jaake paani bharle... Aaj poore din baarish hone waali hai, jaldi jaldi saare kaam niptane honge.
Rani: jii...
Rani quickly went back to her room and checked her phone. Veer still hadn't replied.
Rani: shayad dactersaab kahi ruke hi naahi... gaari chalate chalate phone kaise dekhenge. Unhone to kha thha aate aate dupher hojayegi.. Matarani, dactersaab ke aane ke tem baarish na ho... Oo bas thikse ghar aajaye...
Saying Rani kept the phone back in its place and went to work.
_______
"Kaa baat hai bahan", said Kajri as she entered Rani's room and stood behind Rani.
Kajri: Aaj bohut saj dhaj ke tayyar horahi hai... Jijaji aarahe hai isiliye na?🤭
Kajri chuckled while looking at Rani through the mirror.
Rani: kaa tu bhi... Hum roj aese hi tayyar hote hai.
Rani said trying to suppress her smile.
Kajri: naahi behan.. waise aaj to tu bohut hi chauchak lg rhi hai. Jijaji kahi aate hi behosh na hojaye 😂🤭
Kajri wasn't wrong.
Dressed in a red coloured saree, paired with golden jhumkas and mild makeup, she looked really pretty.
Undoubtedly this dressup was for Veer.
Rani: dhat...tu jaa ynha se...dimag kharab mat kar. Boht kaam hai.
Kajri: arey itni bhi kaa jaldi hai humko bhagane ki.. waise bhi jb jijaji aajayenge to tu to hum sb ko bhul hi jayegi...
Rani: Kajri!!! Tu jaa rhi hai ki nahi...
Kajri: haan haan jaa rahe hai...
Kajri went away giggling.
Rani took her phone in her hands. It was 11 a.m.
Veer hadn't replied to her message yet neither had he called. Where was he?
Rani sighed and moved out of the room.
***********